I bring a ton of beauty/skincare/makeup products in each
month from subscription boxes, purchases, gifts, and review items so I thought
I would start sharing my monthly empties. Not only will it be a place for me to
share what I liked and didn’t like/what worked and what didn’t I thought it
would hold me accountable to actually using up the mountain of products I
received.
Supplements/Wellness Items
Equate Black Elderberry Liquid—my allergist
suggested I take Elderberry, not only for immune health, but also for allergy/hive
relief. In the past, the Sambucol brand seemed to work for allergy and hive
relief. I picked up this brand (the Equate brand) because it was the only one
left at Wal-Mart and it doesn’t seem to do much for allergy relief but it did
help to cut down my hive outbreaks. I also found this brand to be rather bitter.
While I will continue to use Elderberry syrup, I won’t be picking up the Equate
brand again.
Twinings of London White Hibiscus Immune Support Tea—during
my last Twinings order, I picked up a few of the teas from their Wellness line
(a post of this line will be up in the near future) and this one has come in
handy. It’s Summer in Ohio, meaning allergy season is in full-swing and this
tea has really helped with my sneezing an sniffles. It has a nice lime and
ginger flavor with a hint of spice. I have bought more of this.
Hand Sanitizer
Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer—I’ve went
through ten of these this month. I always have one hanging on my handbag, in my
car, and on my end table. I always stock up on these when I go to BBW, which
was probably good seeing as they’re in-demand, so I have a mixture of
fragrances from different seasons. These are my favorites simple because they
don’t dry my hands out.
Germ-X—this wasn’t my favorite. It was a
little drying but it was okay to keep on my desk.
Body Wash/Bubble Bath
Lovescript Orange Blossom Body Wash by Lauren Frances—this
came in my Spring FabFitFun box and I loved it. Not only was it hydrating, it
had this lovely orange vanilla scent. I’ve been thinking about purchasing this
but it’s a little pricey for body wash at just under $30 for 6 FL OZ.
Dr. Teal’s Shea Butter & Almond Oil Body Wash—Dr.
Teal’s is one of my ‘go-to’ brands but this is the first time that I’ve tried
their body wash and I loved it. It was hydrating and left my skin feeling soft.
The pump is also a plus. I’ve already
placed an order for more.
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: Balance &
Calm with Matcha Green Tea (not
pictured)—this is a brand that I’ve used for a while so when they brought out
their Matcha green tea, citrus, and chamomile blend I was eager to try it as I
usually like body care products that have tea in them. While I liked the
citrusy green tea scent, this dried my skin out. It also leaves a green film
(from the matcha) in the tub. While I like the brand, I won’t be using this
blend again.
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: Glow &
Radiance with Vitamin C & Citrus Essential Oils (not pictured)—this
was also a new blend they recently released and it’s one of my favorites. It’s
gentle on my skin hydrating, and has a lovely citrus scent. I ordered several
more bags of this from ULTA as well as the bubble bath and body wash.
Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Foam Bath: Glow &
Radiance with Vitamin C & Citrus Essential Oils—the bubble bath
is just as amazing as the salts above.
Spongellé Coconut Verbena Body Wash Infused Buffer—I
wasn’t sure about this but I received it in my FabFitFun box, decided to give
it a go, and ended up loving it. Not only does it smell amazing, it offers just
the right amount of exfoliation without being abrasive to my skin. It also
lasts longer than I was expecting. I’ve ordered several more.
Body Spray
Bath and Body Works French Lavender and Honey—this
was a nice light lavender scent with just a hint of honey. I picked up several
of these before they retired the fragrance.
Bath and Body Works Wild Rose & Apple—this
is one of my favorites and I don’t think they offer it anymore (I’m hoping
they’ll bring it back for their retired fragrance event). It hasa wonderful,
natural rose scent with just a slight hint of apple. It was an easy scent to
wear and I received many compliments on it. I have one more set of lotion and
body spray left.
Haircare
Marc Anthony Strengthening Grow Long Shampoo and
Conditioner—I received this for review and disliked it. I didn’t
notice my hair growing faster with this and I didn’t notice it strengthening my
hair. I did notice that it left a lot of buildup in my hair and my hair felt
like it was loaded with product. I did finish this just to see if it would
lengthen and strengthen, but I will not buy this product.
Biolage SmoothProof Pack Deep Treatment—I
received this for review and there’s several ways to use this. I ended up using
it as an in-shower hair mask. It was an okay hair mask, but the packaging made
it a bit hard to use, and I didn’t really see as much frizz control as I was
expecting. I won’t be buying this.
Found Marumuru Balm-to-Oil Hair Mask—this is
my ‘go-to’ hair mask. It hydrates, tames, and smells amazing. I only used one
this month because I was trying to finish the Biolage (see above). I have
several packets left so I don’t need to repurchase yet.
Marrakesh Oil Hair Styling Elixer—this is a
product (and brand) that is a ‘must have’ for me. Even though it is oil, it’s
very lightweight and doesn’t feel like an oil once it’s on my hair. It
hydrates, smooths, and tames my hair without leaving product buildup. This is
an auto-buy for me.
Foot Masks
AvryBeauty Shea Butter Socks—these came in a
pack I ordered during the Spring Edit Sale from FabFitFun and I didn’t care for
them. They are super thin and ended up tearing apart before I removed them. I
don’t feel that they offered any hydration. They were more of a nuisance. I
have two pairs of socks left from the pack and I will not be buying these
again.
Aveeno Repairing Cica Foot Mask (two
packs)—I’m addicted to these. I put them on, pick up a book or pop in a movie,
and just let my feet chill for a few hours. I find using these twice of month
keep my feet hydrated. I have repurchased these and will do so again.
Face Masks
Tony Moly Nourishing Honey Mask Sheet—if it’s
Tony Moly, I usually love it and this mask was no exception. It was hydrating,
soothing, and it calmed my redness. I will be buying more of these.
Earth to Skin Super Fruits Watermelon Sheet Mask—I
picked up a set of these from Wal-Mart way back in December and finally gave
one a go. Not only did it smell like watermelon it was so hydrating and gave my
skin a nice glow. I will be buying more of these.
Found 60-Second Green Tea Morning Sheet Mask—I
completely ignore the 60-second rule and leave this on while I check my emails
in the morning. It offers a lovely dose of hydration and wakes up my skin. If I
use this on a day when I’m going to be wearing makeup, I use the essence in
this one as my face serum and jump right into moisturizer, primer, then makeup.
I’ve used a few of these and I’m, going to be picking up a few more. These are
great for sensitive skin.
Earth to Skin Manuka Honey Skeet Mask—this is
a new-to-me brand that I found at Wal-Mart. Manuka honey is great for calming
skin and this one did seem to tone down some redness but it was not as
moisturizing as some of the other honey masks I’ve used. I’m a bit on the fence
about this one. I have a few more from this set to try before I decide. I will
say this one smells amazing like fresh honey.
Tony Moly I’m Lavender Hydrating Sheet Mask—Tony
Moly is my go to brand for face masks. They’re just a great brand. This one not
only hydrates, but the lavender relaxes me. It’s the perfect sheet mask to use
in the evening when you’re winding down. I use these all the time; this is
actually an auto-purchase of mine.
Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Sheet Mask—this
is one of my favorite brands. They’re products are amazing and this face mask
was so hydrating and it brightened my face. This is on my list of things to
reorder.
Soo AE Acai Berry Revitalizing Sleep Mask (not pictured)—this is a liquid sleep mask
that came in my Wal-Mart box and I didn’t love it. It’s a restorative sleep
mask, so I was assuming it was going to hydrate. It did the opposite and I woke
up with the worst case of dry skin patches I’ve had for a while. It took about
a week to get the moisture back in my skin. I’m not going to buy this.
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks—a
set of these came in my BoxyCharm and I love them. I keep these in my fridge
and they are the perfect pick me up in the morning. I usually do my skincare
routine, pop these on, then put on my eyeshadow. Not only do they hydrate my
under eyes, they also catch any eyeshadow fallout. I have a ton of these but I
will reorder when I run out.
Skincare/Makeup
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil—I loved this
serum. It’s on the pricier side so I’m waiting for a sale before repurchasing
it.
Red Earth Brightening Oil with Kakadu Plum—I
received this in an Ipsy bag and it’s one of my favorite oils. It sinks into my
skin and gives it a healthy dose of hydration. I do plan to order this when
it’s back in stock.
L'Oréal Lash Paradise Mascara—this is my
favorite mascara. It’s lengthens and gives volume to my lashes without looking
clumpy. I will be buying this again.
Face Wash
Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser—I finally
used this bottle of Neutrogena face cleanser. I bought it to travel with and
forgot about it in my suitcase. It’s a nice drugstore cleaner that adds
moisture to my skin. I’ve added it to my list of cleansers to look for when I
run out.
Tula Probiotic Skincare: Purifying Face Cleanser (not pictured)—another product I received in my
FabFitFun box and ended up loving. Probiotics in skincare is something I’ve
recently been learning about and trying out. From what I’ve discovered thus
far, they seem gentler on my skin and have noticeable benefits, such as adding
moisture to my skin and toning down the redness. This is my favorite face
cleanser. It’s gentle on my skin, has a clean scent without added fragrance,
and offers the moisture I need. I have repurchased this one.
Face Cleansing Wipes
Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes—I liked
their old formula better. These ones tend to make my face a bit red. I won’t be
buying them again.
Nicole Miller Rosehip Facial Cleansing Wipes—I
picked these up before Christmas at TJ Maxx and they worked to remove my makeup
without drying out my face. While these were nice, I’m trying to move away from
buying disposable makeup wipes.
